born too early in a Father Knows Best,Leave It to Beaver sitcom; the Western Auto,A&P store boondocks—America’sDreamsville… fine-tuning precocioussenses to the underground frequencies

the subliminal previews of coming attractionsthe siren whispers about an Oz called The Villagethe café-nicotine poetry, the princes of darkness,Kerouac and Ginsberg, their Beat Generationalready setting sail in the Elsewhereville sunset

leaving me behind: a stranger on the shoreof my youth… off the road, off the bus,praying those cool daddy-o mantras,trying to kickstart my peachfuzz…needing to be weird-with-a-beard